Thread: Firewood biz

Around here firewood is going for $300 per cord. I have been doing more tree work of late with all the storms etc. Any other landscapers keep guys busy selling firewood during the winter. I'm guessing two guys with a splitter should be able to cut, split and stack 2 cord a day? Anyone else jump into the biz? I don't think its a gold mine, but just another way to keep the ball rolling...thoughts??

I don't sell firewood, but a good friend in the biz does firewood sales during the winter also. He does not do much tree work during the summer but some. So during the winter he cuts the wood to sell the next season.

Through word of mouth he gets land that he can cut wood from and pay per the truckload (cheap). Basically cuts it to 8ft chunks and brings it back home to cut and split. If employee's are doing it he basically makes alittle but keeps them busy. If he cuts it he does better but it's just making a job for him.

Besides saws, he runs a tractor w/loader ($45k set up), a 07 dodge one ton with dump($40K) and a 14ft dump trailer($6K). So alot of equipment tied up. Granted the tractor pulls a batwing mower once a week in the summer (which he agrees running 72" ztr's is cheaper), the tractor also helps in snow pile moving/removal, the dump trailer is used for leaves/mulch. Nothing is used daily but used time to time.

Also besides cutting remember most of those prices are delivered so there is a cost there.

The customer base is the key and also what makes it hard to control costs. If we have bad year with snow then he pays the employee's to do the cutting as if you don't have a supply your customer base leaves to the next guy.

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I'm just trying to keep busy and make a few bucks. Hiring employees to do all this with my setup wouldn't be very profitable, unless i take the plunge and buy some serious equipment. Just looking for any insight, thanks!

Only two chords per day??? What are you doing, letting the crew sleep behind the splitter?
My golf course employees milking the clock like a Wisconsin dairy farmer still managed to produce six chords per day.
Back when I lived in NE PA I used to haul, split and stack four chords in a day and a half by myself using a pto mounted splitter, a timber jack, one saw and three chains. Two weekends of that and I was done for the year - used to split for the neighbors too just so I didn't have to talk to my now ex-wife.

Only two chords per day??? What are you doing, letting the crew sleep behind the splitter?
My golf course employees milking the clock like a Wisconsin dairy farmer still managed to produce six chords per day.
Back when I lived in NE PA I used to haul, split and stack four chords in a day and a half by myself using a pto mounted splitter, a timber jack, one saw and three chains. Two weekends of that and I was done for the year - used to split for the neighbors too just so I didn't have to talk to my now ex-wife.

Around here firewood is going for $300 per cord. I have been doing more tree work of late with all the storms etc. Any other landscapers keep guys busy selling firewood during the winter. I'm guessing two guys with a splitter should be able to cut, split and stack 2 cord a day? Anyone else jump into the biz? I don't think its a gold mine, but just another way to keep the ball rolling...thoughts??

We sell for $275 a cord. Its not a gold mine for sure. We try to get all the free wood but I always end up buying 30-40 cord. Then you have to handle the big stuff. You really need a skid steer or a small loader imo to make it. We use a skidder to move around the big stuff and load the truck. We usually have two guys on the pile at a time. Four cords is a good day. Then you have to leave it for a year and delivery too. We can buy the big stuff for @$60 a cord delivered. That is log lengths. We make a few bucks but to be honest its more of a pita than anything.

Around here firewood is going for $300 per cord. I have been doing more tree work of late with all the storms etc. Any other landscapers keep guys busy selling firewood during the winter. I'm guessing two guys with a splitter should be able to cut, split and stack 2 cord a day? Anyone else jump into the biz? I don't think its a gold mine, but just another way to keep the ball rolling...thoughts??

What I'm 50 and if I had to could split and stack 3 cords a day using and Axe. My son has a splitter he can do a cord split and stacked in about an hour and a half or less. I don't get alot of tree work but by the ends of the season I usually have enough to sell a bit of wood from the few trees I do and larger branches that have fallen. I really don't get enough to sell cords but I will make bundles and sell them out of the back of my truck on Sunday afternoons. I have a couple of good spots close to condo neighborhoods some will even pay extra for me to drive it to their house and carry it up the stairs when I'm done for the day.